Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 819 · 40 questions

Writer's tip (Show the actions): A telling sentence names the feeling: was sad, felt tired. A showing sentence describes actions, faces and bodies: tears, yawns, shaking knees. Pick the showing sentence that fits the right feeling.

1. 1.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Priya was scared.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Kabir was bored. (c) Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is cold? (a) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Priya was cold.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Yash was tired.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aryan was scared.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Tara was angry.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Tenzin was sad. (c) Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Kavya was bored. (c) Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Kavya was bored. (c) Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) tired
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja was happy. (b) Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel was sad. (b) Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha was hungry. (b) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Ananya was happy.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) tired (b) angry (c) bored
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek. (c) Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) angry
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling

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